Vegetable Garden Project at a Sheltered Rescue Home for Trafficked Women and Children. Funds for: seeds, tools, water pump and gardener.

The DAM shelter home was set up in 2003, to provide safe accommodation to women and children who have been the victims of human trafficking.
The residents are mainly young women and children (often victims of rape and violence).
The babies are often the result of violations to the women.
The home provides: food, warmth, support, healthcare, medical services, counselling, education and training.
Since 2003 there have been 187 women and children helped at the residential home. The women and children are reintegrated into their families whenever possible, within 3 months.

Beneficiaries: 37 people currently living in the home (others as admitted in the year).
The residents (and staff) will benefit from the establishment of a small scale vegetable farm (1.5 acres); providing them with seasonal, fresh organic vegetables all year round - 27 types of local vegetables will be grown. The vegetable farm will provide enough food for the residents and a surplus to sell; to fund the annual running costs of the home.
The provision of a water pump will ensure a good supply of water for irrigation.
A gardener will be employed and training will be provided in vegetable growing.
The women will share their new skills with their communities when resettling.

Arsenic-Free Safe Drinking Water in Rural Bangladesh. Funds for a community managed water filtering system, to provide: water filtration unit, pump, the construction of a building (water supply centre) to house the pump, water storage tanks; storage shed for the filter units and tanks.

Bangladesh covers an area of 147,000 square kilometres and has a population of 145 mill-ion. It is the most densely populated country in the world.
Almost half of the population are at risk from life-threatening diseases (gangrene and cancer) as a result of using arsenic contaminated water. The impact on health from arsenic contamination affects people's capacity to work and generate income.
Jessore district has some of the highest levels of contamination. The hand pump drawn water contains arsenic 10 times higher than the recommended limit.
The people of Chowgacha have to use contaminated well water or polluted water from ponds, canals and rivers.

Beneficiaries: 240 people from 40 households living in the small, rural community of Chowgacha. This community led project will ensure that people have a clean, safe supply of arsenic-free drinking water at an affordable cost.
The purpose built water supply centre will be operated and maintained by local people.
This project is a model scheme which it is hoped will be taken up by others - setting up similar initiatives in other areas.
Vegfam is also looking into the possibility of providing additional funds to the community to set up a long-term vegetable growing project.